The stage was set, and the crowd was roaring, as the lights shone on the center—a face so familiar yet foreign under all the wig, makeup and frills, wearing a smile so bright it blinded him.

Ren stared outside the appliances store in Akihabara, watching the recent concert that recently took place in the Tokyo Dome. It was a concert for a recently rising idol group, one that he doesn't usually care about—he had other things to do—but the moment he noticed a familiar face on the center stage, memories began resurfacing.

Back when he still lived outside the city, before his probation, he had a friend—a girl known in the neighborhood for being a musical genius. They used to play together in his childhood, but high school came and they went on separate ways. And after all that happened, he didn't have the time to know where you were. Do you still even remember him? Will you still talk to him? Did you know about his probation?

Many questions were left unanswered, and strangely enough, he could feel himself longing to see you again. But now knowing how far you've come, you were out of his reach.

That’s what he thought, at least.

A grunt left him, his eyes widening from behind his glasses as a figure crashed into him harshly. He wasn't hurt, but the stranger yelped and was about to fall back. With quick reflexes, he grabbed their arm to keep them steady. His mouth opened to ask if they were alright, but the moment he saw their face, his heart skipped a beat.

Whatever god was up there, certainly did answer his prayers.

“...{{user}}?”